February is over, and March has started with Siberian winds, sub-zero temperatures and blizzards from the Atlantic courtesy of Storm Emma. Meteorological Spring may have started on 1 March, but I think we can expect to wait until the Equinox for things to get properly Spring-y.

So what happened in February, you ask? Lots, I reply!

In 'The Horde's Engine Room - Episode III', The Horde from The New Jacobin Club did a nice review of 'Airships & Automata', a collection including my short story 'Tommy's Game', which was singled out for particular praise. Plus LM Cooke music got a bit of outro-time, too!

I also got a bit of air-play for some LM Cooke music on the #GASP and The Slab radio shows.

I also visited Avebury, a village encompassed by the world's largest prehistoric stone circle. This was the first time I've been to Avebury - but I'll be back (hotel already booked for later in the year...)

And I even managed a meet-up with the West Midlands Steampunk Assembly, on a charity shop crawl through Stourbridge and Halesowen.

Pictoral evidence of the above is below. March will see the first LM Cooke music gigs of the year - assuming that the snow finally goes, and these bloody penguins head off back to Antartica...

But also the first outing of 2015 for Crimson Clocks! Oh yes indeed, ladies and gentlemen, we of crimson disposition will be heading south for the weekend in order to perform at the launch event of the afore-mentioned tome.

Crimson Clocks will, unfortunately be bereft of drummer Steve on this occasion, but the remaining 3/4 of us will be playing accompanied not only by Trevor, our regular guest, but also an automated version of Steve... and there may be another surprise too, so you'd best make sure you're there to witness.

And of course, as well as Crimson Clocks there will also be music from the lovely Gladstone, readings from the Heart's Cog Imperative, and tea-duelling presided over by award-winning Tiffin Mistress Michelle from the Reading Steampunks group. MC for the night is Jane Setter, singer in the bands Swallow and Crimson Sky.

The evening is also intended to raise awareness of the charity New Futures Nepal, who work with disadvantaged children and adults in Nepal.

Tickets are available now from eventbrite - they will be slightly more expensive on the door, so worth getting them in advance!

That's right, there's a few things to update you on this week, so let's see how we go...

Shameless Plug...

... for Sunday's gig at theBlack Country Steam-o-Rama at The Griffin, 8 Stone Street, Dudley, DY1 1NS, from 5pm, Sunday 20th July - FREE ENTRYReasons you should attend:

It's a nice early finish, so you'll still be able to get up for work in the morning

Crimson Clocks will be doing some more recording for a video - and we'd like you to take part with your own recording!*

There will be tea dueling**, hosted by me and ably abetted by Mr Steven C. Davis as biscuit wallah

There will be opportunity to purchase books written by Mr Davis and myself, just in time to take away with you on your summer holidays.

There will be other stalls, including Sparkles By Gem, Steampunk Relics, and Clare's Prints, with shiny things available

There will be music from BB Blackdog as well as Crimson Clocks

There will be a lovely steampunk burlesque performance from Steam Tease

It's FREE Entry! That's FREE!

*Videoing - we are making a video for our song, Shadow. When we play it, we'd like YOU to film a clip of yourself watching, and us playing, and send it to us. Doesn't have to be high quality, or even very long. We'll then merge them all together to make a video so that we can be watching you watching us watching you watching us.... send clips to CrimsonClocks@CrimsonClocks.com, please! And include your name!** tea dueling - a ferocious face-off between dashing duelists - the terror of the high teas! Face your opponent over a malted milk biscuit. Do you have the nerve?? Open to all...

A more worthy plug...

...for Southcart Books, who, you'll remember hosted a book reading only the other week - see my blog from last week. Southcart are the only independent bookseller for miles around, and they are looking for ways to help them stay around. So they've set up a crowdfunder to try to fund improvements to the shop and help to keep it a community venue, with events for local people, and accessible to all. You can read more here and there's also a facebook event here.

Taken from the Express and Star, Monday 7th July 2014

Up, up and away...

...in a helicopter, no less, was what I was doing last weekend! Is there no end to my jet-set lifestyle? (yes there is). A helicopter pleasure flight over Berkshire and surrounds enabled me to capture some in-flight pics, some of which may be appearing in a 'mystery' project later this year... watch this space.As to the helicopter flight itself, it was a great experience, taking us towards Farnborough Airfield, close enough to London that we could see The Shard, plus over lots of very posh houses and other things. A word to the wise, though - when the helicopter banks, hold onto your stomach. Eep!

Me mid-flight

Helicopter in flight (me not on it)

The view from 1000ft up at 125mph

Right, that's it for now, back to the dissertation work we go... stay vigilant!

Author

I'm a writer of steampunk/ fantasy fiction, singer/musician and writer at LM Cooke Music, singer in the parody band Mediaeval Biaetches, occasional historian, and co-presenter of the Gothic Alternative Steampunk and Progressive web radio show. Here I will ramble vaguely about stuff. Friends, countrymen, and people who aren't countrymen, lend me your ears...